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When it comes to wintry weather, the Maritimes has certainly dipped a toe into the water with this week’s chilly temperatures and snow.
However, Old Man Winter is about to push us into the pool head first — and the water will be frigid.
A polar air mass sinking into central and eastern Canada will move into the Maritimes late Thursday and into Friday with some gusty winds and the coldest temperatures of the season so far.
An incoming cold front will parade through the region on Thursday, shifting the winds to the northwest and mixing showers to flurries as temperatures fall.
(Ryan Snoddon/CBC)
Slick and snowy driving conditions are possible for the afternoon and evening commute across New Brunswick as well as northern parts of Nova Scotia as the temperatures drop below freezing and the transition to snow occurs.
The rest of Nova Scotia will switch to flurries later Thursday evening and overnight and by Friday morning a widespread coating of up to five centimetres is likely for most places. Pockets of up to 10 centimetres are also possible, especially in higher terrain areas of the north.
The Friday morning commute will see some leftover snow and icy road conditions in spots, with a risk for whiteout conditions and snow squalls for the Northumberland Shore of Nova Scotia and Cape Breton.
(Ryan Snoddon/CBC)
The risk for snow squalls will taper off for the mainland by Friday afternoon, but continue well into Friday night for Cape Breton, particularly for Inverness County and Victoria County.
By Friday evening, localized totals could add up to 30 centimetres for northern parts of Cape Breton.
(Ryan Snoddon/CBC)
The northwest winds will gust from 50 to 70 km/h for most of the region on Thursday night and into Friday morning, with coastal gusts of 70 to 90 km/h possible in the Acadian Peninsula region of New Brunswick, southwest Nova Scotia and especially northeastern Nova Scotia and Cape Breton.
Temperatures will plunge into the – 12 C to -18 C range for Nova Scotia and -16 C to -20 C range for New Brunswick by early Friday morning. These cold temperatures, coupled with the winds, will push wind chill values into the -20 C to -30 C range across the Maritimes. Truly midwinter cold.
(Ryan Snoddon/CBC)
Winds will slowly ease through the day on Friday, however with temperature highs of just -4 C to -10 C, afternoon wind chills will still be in the minus teens for most of the region.
Temperatures will recover somewhat on Saturday and even more so on Sunday as our next front approaches with more flurries. Behind that front will be more midwinter-like temperatures for early next week.
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